Submersible pump



SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1962 m m 0 k TZ mm mm An i Mm JW Q. Nw F.\,/.\ E. A QH Jun 2, 1954 J. A. TODD ETAL SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 29, 1962 INVENTORS J0 knArrwZd/ Todd 716mm Jokro 27 ufisk and ATTORNEYS June 2, 1964 D ETAL 3,135,212

SUBMERSIBLE v PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS John/Arnold Todd Warren John/P uksfy United States Patent 3,135,212 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP John Arnold Todd and Warren John Dubsky, Salisbury,

Md., assignors to Symingtou Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 183,621

8 Claims. (Cl. 103--87) This application relates to a submersible pump and electrical motor unit for insertion within a storage tank, and it more particularly relates to such a pump for a remote pumping type of gasoline service station installation.

Submersible pumps commonly used for pumping from gasoline service station storage tanks have heretofore been made extremely slim to minimize the size of the opening in the storage tank required to insert them into it. This complicates the pump and makes it necessary to utilize an extremely small specially constructed motor. A multi-stage pump is therefore usually required to provide the necessary pressure and quantity of flow. Such pumps are expensive, not absolutely dependable in operation and not as eflicient as might be desired.

An object of this invention is to provide a submersible pump and electric motor unit for insertion into a Storage tank which utilizes a standard electric motor and pump having relatively high efliciencies and whose casing extends very slightly past the side of the motor.

In accordance with this invention the casing of a submersible pump and electric motor unit includes a cylindrical intermediate casing closely enclosing the motor, and a lower pumping casing is connected to the lower end of the intermediate casing. This lower casing include a volute chamber with a number of volute cavities, two for example. A number of discharge conduits corresponding to the number of volute cavities are elongated about the periphery of the pumping casing and extend upwardly from it toward the intermediate casing where they join correspondingly peripherally elongated intermediate discharge passageways extending longitudinally upwardly along the sides of the intermediate casing. These intermediate passageways only extend radially a slight distance past the side of the motor yet their peripheral or circumferential elongation provides them withfull discharge area thereby permitting the pumped fluid to flow through them without undue restriction. A collecting manifold is mounted at the top of the unit, and it includes collecting passageways connected to the intermediate passageways for smoothly diverting the flow of fluid from the intermediate. passageways into a single discharge conduit connected to the top of the collecting manifold. l Y i Economical and relatively eflicient centrifugal pumps and standard electric motors such as of horsepower rating, canbe utilized for pumping a strong flow of fluid past the motor into the collecting manifold and discharge pipe. The slight additional cost of the slightly larger opening that a submersible pump of. this type requires over that of an ultra thin type is more than compensated by the relative economy of the standard motor and centrifugal pump that it can incorporate. In addition the described unit is far more rugged, efficient, durable and provides more available pumped liquid.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in elevation partially broken away in cross section of an embodiment of this invention in a remote pumping gasoline service station installation;

3,135,212 Patented June 2, 1964 ice FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of one embodiment of this invention; and

FIGS. 3-7 are, cross-sectional views taken through FIG. 2 along respectively numbered lines.

In FIG. 1 is shown a submersible pump and motor unit 10 mounted within a storage tank 12 through a header 14 of the type described in US. Patent 2,840,119 which facilitates the installation and removal of pumping unit 10. Unit 10 pumps fluid 16 introduced into it through inlet strainer 18 out through discharge conduit 20. This fluid is subsequently distributed from outlet 22 of header 14 through schematically indicated piping 24 to the hose and nozzle 26 of dispenser 28. A switch 30 schematically indicated within dispenser 28 permits pump 10 to be started from the dispenser. The rest of the electrical system is schematically indicated by leads 32 extending from a supply panel 34 to electrical inlet 36 at the top of header 14. Wires 32 may be channeled through tube 38 extending through header 14 and tank 12 to unit 10.

In FIGS. 2-7 are shown details of submersible pump and electric motor unit 10. Unit 10 includes a cylindrical intermediate casing 40 closely enclosing electric motor 42. A lower pumping casing 44 is mounted below motor 42 and intermediate casing 40, and it incorporates at its lower end a volute chamber 46 within which is mounted a centrifugal impeller 48. Centrifugal impeller 48 is secured to shaft 50 of motor 42 by conventional means, and it includes an eye 52 and radial pumping passageways 54. An inlet flange 56 is secured to the bottom of pumping casing 44, and a strainer 58 is secured in front of the opening in flange 56 for straining fluids entering the eye 52 of impeller 48. As shown in FIG. 4, volute chamber 46 includes a pair of volute cavities 46A and 46B with connected discharge openings 60A and 60B which extend upwardly within discharge conduits 62A and 62B which together with outlets 60A and 60B are elongated peripherally with respect to volute chamber 46. Outlets 60A and 60B are, for example, at the smallest areas are approximately or /2 of an inch in radial dimension and approximately 3 inches long. Each of these outlets therefore has, for example, approximately 1 /2 sq. in. of flow area.

Similar peripherally elongated discharge passageways 64A and B are provided in intermediate casing 40 to provide a continuation of discharge conduits 62A and 62B from pumping casing 44. Passageways 64A and 64B as shown in FIG. 5 are similarly formed like elongated passageways 60A and 608 shown in FIG. 4 to minimize their radial extension past the sides of the motor 42.

A collecting manifold casing 66 having collecting passageways 68A and 68B forming a continuation of intermediate discharge passageways 64A and 64B is mounted upon intermediate casing 40. Collecting passageways 64A and 64B are connected to a single upper discharge connection 70 to which discharge pipe 20 shown in FIG. 1 is connected. Casings 40, 44 and 66 are all connected together by cap screws 78 to channel pumped fluid from pumping casing 44 past motor 42 at relatively high efficiency and relatively slight radial extension past the sides of the motor. This permits a standard motor such as a /1 horsepower motor to be utilized for driving a relatively high efliciency centrifugal pump to discharge its output through substantially unrestricted discharge conduits in a unit which is slim enough to pass through an economical conveniently sized opening into a storage tank, such as tank 12. Such a unit can accordingly be inserted through an eight inch opening in a storage tank. Although ultra-thin units may require only four inch openings, this slight advantage is more than offset by the much greater cost of such ultra-thin units and their relatively lesser pumping efiiciency. In other words, the amount saved by utilizing the standard components described herein more than oifsets the slight additional cost required to provide a larger opening into the storage tank.

In FIG. 2 is also shown a control cavity or chamber 72 in the upper part of intermediate casing 40. As shown inFlG. 6,,a starting relay 74 and a thermal overload switch 76 are mounted within control chamber 72. The disposition of starting relay 74 within and adjacent the motor permits only one pair of wires 32 to provide all the connections which must be inserted through the storage tank into the motor for operating it. The disposition of control chamber 72 above the motor, which is cooled by a flow of the pumped fiuidsuch as gasoline, permits the electrical control elements to be maintained sealed away from the pumped fluid to protect them.

All three castings 66, 40 and 44 are secured together as shown in FIGS. 2-8 by cap screws 78 which are engaged within the suitably threaded holes in the casings. These casings may be conveniently fabricated in the form required with core passageways by common casting procedures from cast iron, cast steel or a more corrosion proof metal, such as cast bronze or cast aluminum.

By virtue of the relatively high efficiency of such a unit, a motor of, for example, 1200 watt capacity can adequately supply as many as six gasoline dispensers. Such a motor for pumping gasoline is made explosionproof and fully sealed, and it is cooled by the fluid being pumped to minimize its power requirements. Furthermore, the aforementioned simplified electrical system incorporated in the motor makes it possible to connect the unit directly to any standard source of electrical power through a simple control switch 34 and circuit breaker, as shown in FIG. 1. This unit can accordingly do'the work of several of the previous ultra-thin types of units.

It is also possible to provide more than two volute chambers withinthepumping casing. However the illustrated embodiment is a particularly effective form of this invention in which the fluid pressure built up in each of the volutes is easily accommodated within peripherally elongated passageways in the intermediate casing without unduly increasing the width of the unit. This highly facilitates its installation through a reasonably sized .opening in a storage tank such as one which is only" eight inches in diameter without unduly, restricting the flow of pumped fluid. The pumped fluid is circulated through chamber 80 within intermediate casing 40 about motor armature coils 82 to cool them through suitable passageways (not shown), connected to the discharge passageways.

What is claimed is:

. 1. A submersible pump and electric motor comprising a cylindrical intermediate casing closely enclosing said motor, a lower pumping casing incorporating at its lower end a volute chamber for a centrifugal pump, an inlet at the bottom of said pumping casing, a centrifugal impeller connected to be rotated by said motor and. mounted within said volute casing, said volute casing incorporating a number of volute cavities and connected discharge outlets, discharge conduits elongated peripherally about said volute casing and extending upwardly from said discharge outlets on said pumping casing toward said intermediate casing, said intermediate casing having a peripheral intermediate passageway means having a number of peripherally elongated intermediate passageways corresponding to said discharge conduits disposed upon the outside walls of said intermediate casing. closely adjacent means for channeling fluid pumped from said volute, casing past said motor at relatively high efficiency and relatively slight radial extension past the sides of said motor.

2. A submersible pump and electric motor as set forth in claim 1 wherein two'of said volute cavities are provided in said casing, and two corresponding connected conduits and passageways beingprovided in said' volute casing, and in said intermediate casing.

3. A submersible pump and electric motor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said collecting manifold casing includes a number of branches with spaces in between them, a control cavity is provided in said intermediate casing, electrical leads extend externally of said discharge conduit and said branches into said intermediatecasing, andelectrical control elements being mounted in said control cavity.

4. A submersible pump and electric motor as set forth in" claim 3 wherein said electrical control elements include a thermal overload switch and a starting; relay.

which minimizes the number of electrical connections that must be made to said motor.

. 5. A submersible pump and electric motor as set forth in claim 4 wherein said control cavity is a domed chamher in the upper part of said intermediate chamber.

6. A submersible pump and electricmotor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said motor is in the approximateone horsepowerrange, and said intermediate discharge passageways are approximately /2 inch in radial dimension and 3 inches in peripheral dimension.

7. A submersible pump and electricmotor as setiforth in claim 1 wherein said collecting manifold. casing includes a number of branches,.and said intermediate passageway means also having peripherally elongated inter.-

,mediate passageways corresponding to the. number of said branches and connected. thereto.

8. A submersible pump. and electric motor as set forth in. claim 2 wherein. said collecting manifold casing also includes two branches.

References Cited in the file. of 'thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,798 Hollander Nov. 19, 1940 2,325,930 Avigdor Aug. 3, 1943 2,504,140 Mill Apr. 18-, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 156,844 Switzerland Aug. 31, 1932 

1. A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP AND ELECTRIC MOTOR COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL INTERMEDIATE CASING CLOSELY ENCLOSING SAID MOTOR, A LOWER PUMPING CASING INCORPORATING AT ITS LOWER END A VOLUTE CHAMBER FOR A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP, AN INLET AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID PUMPING CASING, A CENTRIFUGAL IMPELLER CONNECTED TO BE ROTATED BY SAID MOTOR AND MOUNTED WITHIN SAID VOLUTE CASING, SAID VOLUTE CASING INCORPORATING A NUMBER OF VOLUTE CAVITIES AND CONNECTED DISCHARGE OUTLETS, DISCHARGE CONDUITS ELONGATED PERIPHERALLY ABOUT SAID VOLUTE CASING AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID DISCHARGE OUTLETS ON SAID PUMPING CASING TOWARD SAID INTERMEDIATE CASING, SAID INTERMEDIATE CASING HAVING A PERIPHERAL INTERMEDIATE PASSAGEWAY MEANS HAVING A NUMBER OF PERIPHERALLY ELONGATED INTERMEDIATE PASSAGEWAYS CORREPERIPHERALLY ELONGATED INTERMEDIATE PASSAGEWAYS CORRESPONDING TO SAID DISCHARGE CONDUITS DISPOSED UPON THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CASING CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID MOTOR, A COLLECTING MANIFOLD CASING HAVING A COLLECTING PASSAGEWAY MEANS CORRESPONDING TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PASSAGEWAY MEANS, A SINGLE UPPER DISCHARGE CONDUIT IN THE TOP OF SAID COLLECTION MANIFOLD CASING, AND COUPLING MEANS CONNECTING ALL OF SAID CASINGS TOGETHER WITH SAID PUMPING DISCHARGE CONDUITS AND SAID COLLECTING PASSAGEWAY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PASSAGEWAY MEANS FOR CHANNELING FLUID PUMPED FROM SAID VOLUTE CASING PAST SAID MOTOR AT RELATIVELY HIGH EFFICIENCY AND RELATIVELY SLIGHT RADIAL EXTENSION PAST THE SIDES OF SAID MOTOR. 